Addition by subtraction
For months we have been having trouble with our internet! Sometimes we would drop service as much as 8 times an hour. We had encountered this problem when we first signed up for AT&T service (last May). Last year we had several techs visit to try to fix the problem….none were completely successful. In late summer we were so busy that we didn’t have time to deal with trying to get it fixed (and besides it was only dropping a few times a day).
This story could get REALLY long…but the short version is that we were approaching our contractual year of AT&T service and we were ready to move on!
On one particularly bad service day in mid-March, I took my complaints to twitter! Suddenly AT&T responded. After a few exchanges I received this response:
AT&T Twitter Conversation
I sent my information. I received a telephone call from AT&T. After a short conversation I was connected to the most amazing personal ever – Debbie! Little did I know that Debbie and I would talk every day (sometimes multiple times a day) until she found a way to have my problem fixed!
Let me be clear – I received a call from Debbie in the escalation department at AT&T EVERY business day for over a month (ie until my problem was solved).
I had a total of five AT&T employees come to my house. Some were techs, some were lines people. All were polite and all but one seemed very interested in solving my problem! (One tech, Eric, displayed the attitude I expected from AT&T when he told me on the phone BEFORE he came to my house ‘maybe you just need to switch to Time-Warner’).
In the end my problem was solved by dropping from 6meg service to 3meg service. I don’t know why going to a slower speed made it all better. It seems no one else knows either. However, I have decided:
This is a metaphor for my happiness!
photo via digitalZENDO (Jaye Seiho Morris)
I have found that I can add to the over all joy in life, finding peace of mind by slowing down. Doing more things I love by removing other things – Like television. By slowing down and spending more time enjoying what I am doing and not just getting it done. By deliberately scheduling my down time rather than waiting for it to happen.
What about you? Could your life; your pursuit of happiness be increased by slowing down?
Think about it.
(footnote: I’d like to say a huge THANK YOU to the AT&T crew who solved my internet issues – Debbie [I don’t know a last name but know she is in North Florida and is amazing!]; Doug Brown, the Network Manager for the Wilmington Area; Clint Collins; Jeff, Ray and Ricky. I appreciate your professionalism, all the follow-up calls, and your dedication to customer service. Y’all give me hope for customer service everywhere.)